Over and over on this trip, I’ve seen and felt this truth: the ultimate reason for traveling (or any adventure) is to experience the unexpected. Most people likely love this, I generally don’t. I tend to be an OCP (Obsessive Compulsive Planner), not always because I want to, but simply because I have seven children and if I want to do anything outside of the usual daily dos, I need that p-word to make it happen.
So being on this trip has blessed my life and personality. Every day some wonderfully random experience or moment enhances our lives or traveling experience. Like yesterday, Nichole was in the middle of a shoot, talking about how she really should do some shots for book covers (this place is so perfectly Austenian). So I began thinking of, and sharing, different places I knew that would be interested in those. After about 15 minutes, it finally, FINALLY hits me–I NEED A COVER FOR MY FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES. And it needs to be like this chateau. In fact, my dummy cover (the one I typically create myself and post on my writing bulletin board for visualization and motivation) has a building almost EXACTLY like this chateau in which we are staying.
Duh.
So I share this with Nichole, and she laughs and says, “I’ll take a picture just for you.” Yes, I will need permission, and yes, there may be a fee involved, but how fabulous to use this very chateau as the cover, with all the memories and experiences behind it. A small thing but I was zinging inside with the resonance of it.
Moments like that happen all the time here. Finding random books that significantly cut down my research time and add new facets to the plot line of this second book in the series. Meeting, listening to and being with real photographers, at this chateau setting, that generages creative soil for characterizations. Already I’ve added and changed characters based on who I’ve met and how to utilize certain abilities, mannerisms, and personalities to create more compelling characters (no one person would be used, of course, just flavors to enhance new characters:) And the unexpected moments like adults, children, babies and chaos all crammed happily into the small chateau kitchen, pans bubbling with good food, people snacking and laughing, all hurrying to get food on the table but talking about life experiences.
That’s the treasure, the part you keep–the real souveniers.
I’m already looking forward to tomorrow, and to more of the unexpected and unplanned.
Best,
Connie
To view more of Connie’s Paris adventures with pictures, click “Like” on her Facebook Page.
